Camera module

Abstract

A camera module disclosed to an embodiment includes a lens barrel; and a lens spacer disposed in the lens barrel. The lens spacer includes an opening portion penetrating an upper surface and a lower surface thereof, and a shape of an upper region of the opening portion is different from a shape of a lower region of the opening portion. The upper region of the opening portion comprises a first inner periphery having a curved shape, a second inner periphery having a curved shape and facing the first inner periphery in a first direction, and a third inner periphery connecting one-side ends of the first and second inner peripheries and having a straight-line shape, and a fourth inner periphery connecting the other-side ends of the first and second inner peripheries, which are opposite to the one-side ends thereof, having a straight-line shape, and facing the third inner periphery in a second direction. The lower region of the opening portion may have a circular shape.

1 . A camera module comprising:
 a lens barrel; and   a lens spacer disposed within the lens barrel,   wherein the lens spacer comprises:
 an opening portion penetrating upper and lower surfaces thereof, 
   wherein a shape of an upper region of the opening portion is different from a shape of a lower region of the opening portion,   wherein the upper region of the opening portion comprises:
 a first inner periphery having a curved shape; 
 a second inner periphery facing the first inner periphery in a first direction and having a curved shape, 
 a third inner periphery connecting one-side ends of the first and second inner peripheries and having a straight-line shape, and 
 a fourth inner periphery connecting other-side ends of the first and second inner peripheries, which are opposite to the one-side ends thereof, having a straight-line shape, and facing the third inner periphery in a second direction, 
   wherein the lower region of the opening portion has a circular shape,   wherein the lower and upper surfaces of the lens spacer have different shapes,   wherein the upper region of the opening portion has a first length defined by a length in the first direction and a second length defined by a length in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   wherein the lower region of the opening portion includes a third length defined by lengths in the first and second directions, and   wherein the third length is smaller than the first and second lengths.   
     
     
         2 . The camera module of  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower regions of the opening portion satisfy the following Equation 1:
   0.2<( X 1/ Y 1)−( X 2/ Y 2)<1.9  [Equation 1]
   (In Equation 1, X 1  means a maximum length of the upper region of the opening portion in the first direction, and Y 1  means a maximum length of the upper region of the opening portion in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In addition, X 2  means a maximum length of the lower region of the opening portion in the first direction, and Y 2  means a maximum length of the lower region of the opening portion in the second direction).   
     
     
         3 . The camera module of  claim 1 , wherein the lens spacer comprises at least one inner side surface exposed by the opening portion,
 wherein the inner side surface comprises:
 a first inner side surface; 
 a second inner side surface facing the first inner side surface in the first direction; 
 a third inner side surface disposed between the first and second inner side surfaces; and 
 a fourth inner side surface disposed between the first and second inner side surfaces and facing in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. 
   
     
     
         4 . The camera module of  claim 3 , wherein the first inner side surface has a first inclination angle with respect to the lower surface,
 wherein the second inner side surface has a second inclination angle with respect to the lower surface, and   wherein the first inclination angle is equal to the second inclination angle.   
     
     
         5 . The camera module of  claim 4 , wherein the third inner side surface has a third inclination angle with respect to the lower surface,
 wherein the fourth inner side surface has a fourth inclination angle with respect to the lower surface,   wherein the third inclination angle is equal to the fourth inclination angle.   
     
     
         6 . The camera module of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second inclination angles are smaller than the third and fourth inclination angles. 
     
     
         7 . A camera module comprising:
 a first lens and a second lens sequentially disposed along an optical axis from an object side toward an image side; and   a lens spacer disposed between the first and second lenses,   wherein the first and second lenses have different shapes,   wherein the lens spacer includes an opening portion penetrating an upper surface and a lower surface thereof,   wherein a shape of an upper region of the opening portion is different from a shape of a lower region of the opening portion, and   wherein the lower and upper surfaces of the lens spacer have different shapes.   
     
     
         8 . The camera module of  claim 7 , wherein the first lens has a D-cut shape, and
 wherein the second lens has a circular shape.   
     
     
         9 . The camera module of  claim 8 , wherein the upper region of the opening portion has a shape corresponding to that of the first lens,
 wherein the lower region of the opening portion has a shape corresponding to that of the second lens,   wherein the upper region of the opening portion has a first length defined by a length in a first direction and a second length defined by a length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   wherein the lower region of the opening portion includes a third length defined by lengths in the first and second directions, and   wherein the third length is smaller than the first and second lengths.   
     
     
         10 . The camera module of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first lens has a non-circular shape,   wherein the second lens has a circular shape, and   wherein the lens spacer is disposed between an image-side surface of the first lens and an object-side surface of the second lens.   
     
     
         11 . The camera module of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the upper surface of the lens spacer has a non-circular shape, and   wherein the lower surface of the lens spacer has a circular shape.   
     
     
         12 . The camera module of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first lens has a non-circular shape,   wherein the second lens has a circular shape,   wherein the upper surface of the lens spacer is in contact with an ineffective region of an image-side surface of the first lens, and the lower surface of the lens spacer is in contact with an ineffective region of an object-side surface of the second lens.   
     
     
         13 . The camera module of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first lens has a non-circular shape,   wherein the second lens has a circular shape, and   wherein the lens spacer maintains a distance between the first lens and the second lens.   
     
     
         14 . The camera module of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the lens spacer includes a metal or resin material.   
     
     
         15 . The camera module of  claim 7 ,
 wherein an upper shape of the opening portion of the lens spacer is a non-circular shape,   wherein a lower shape of the opening portion of the lens spacers is a circular shape,   wherein the lens spacer has the upper surface of a non-circular shape and the lower surface of a circular shape,   wherein the upper surface of the lens spacer is in contact with an ineffective region of an image-side surface of the first lens, and   wherein the lower surface of the lens spacer is in contact with an ineffective region of an object-side surface of the second lens.   
     
     
         16 . A camera module comprising:
 a lens spacer disposed between first and second lenses sequentially disposed along an optical axis,   wherein upper and lower surfaces of the lens spacer are disposed between an image-side surface of the first lens and an object-side surface of the second lens,   wherein the upper surface of the lens spacer has a non-circular shape,   wherein the lower surface of the lens spacer has a circular shape,   wherein the lens spacer includes an opening portion penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof,   wherein the upper surface of the opening portion has a non-circular shape, and   wherein the lower surface of the opening portion has a circular shape.   
     
     
         17 . The camera module of  claim 16 ,
 wherein an area of the upper surface of the opening portion is larger than an area of the lower surface of the opening portion.   
     
     
         18 . The camera module of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the image-side surface of the first lens has different lengths in first and second directions orthogonal to each other and passing through an optical axis, and   wherein the object-side surface of the second lens has the same lengths in the first and second directions passing through the optical axis.   
     
     
         19 . The camera module of  claim 16 ,
 wherein a length of the object-side surface of the second lens in the first and second directions is smaller than a length of the image-side surface of the first lens in the first direction.   
     
     
         20 . The camera module of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the opening portion includes a plurality of inner side surfaces,   wherein the plurality of inner side surfaces includes a first inner side surface; a second inner side surface facing the first inner surface in a first direction; a third side inner surface disposed between the first and second inner side surfaces; and a fourth inner side surface disposed between the first and second inner side surfaces and facing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   wherein the first inner side surface has a first inclination angle with respect to the lower surface of the lens spacer,   wherein the second inner side surface has a second inclination angle with respect to the lower surface of the lens spacer,   wherein the first inclination angle is the same as the second inclination angle,   wherein the third inner side surface has a third inclination angle with respect to the lower surface of the lens spacer,   wherein the fourth inner side surface has a fourth inclination angle with respect to the lower surface of the lens spacer,   wherein the third inclination angle is the same as the fourth inclination angle, and   wherein the first and second inclination angles are smaller than the third and fourth inclination angles.